Greets,
The Pizza Guy #1 came out in November of 1999, debuting at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD. I handed it out for free, and gave several copies in a special “creator’s package” including a home-made, stamped postcard for creators to send me a few words on my comic, if they so wished. I think four artists replied, and one publisher, including Alex Robinson and Fantagraphics (yes, my SEO guy said to add more links to my posts to get more traffic – hey, this is a way to get the word out – I want readers after all, so sue me).
This is not the original cover, but the reprint cover. I like it better this way. Also, you will note my pre-nom-de-plume, corrected for the new millennium. I don’t present myself on the web with my boring birth name because 1) I don’t care for it, and 2) I can distance myself from people who know me, or have known me. Why do this? Well, 1) most of ’em I don’t want to google me down and gawk, and 2) much like Ozymandius in The Watchmen comic, I want to start from scratch and build a following without the help of friends and family. It seems more legit to me to earn it rather than trade on real-world good will (just another in a long, well-added-to pile of cut-off noses I am collecting).
So, as, I said, the first issue came out in late ’99, right before my GF of 3 years dumped me for her current husband, right before I broke a drawing finger, right before I decided it was time to get a real job (and I started working for General Electric), and right before I joined my first band.
This is the back cover of the reprint. The discerning eye will note what I have drawn attention to in red. Well, I am penciling and inking #2 this month, and it’s only been … 14ish years. Oh, well, at least I am doing it. Finally.
Over the years I’ve doodled the characters a bunch, written a few drafts, did this comic after a dream (a lot of my ideas come to me in dreams) and considered finishing this story. I am ready now to do this. I have been working for a few months on this, now.
Here are some details:
I’m apparently obsessed with the middle finger. Does that make this entry NSFW? You know, technically, I think anyway, that anything you look at while on your work terminal, that isn’t work related, is off limits. Checking your gmail is Not Safe For Work. Go read your company’s internet policy; I bet I’m right.
So, my buddy and frequent collaborator, Sam Battin (a most excellent cartoonist and writer), is developing a website for promoting our comics. I’ve planned to write about tips and tricks from my process, including digital manipulation, coloring, etc. as well as talking about writing, thumbnails, ink, paper, and brushes. He’s started doing this. I’ll get there eventually. Take a gander.
Cheers,
Fort